Charles ii



0. H. BUXTON.

SIGN, PRICE CARD, &c. No. 454,424. Patented June 16,1891.

rTED STATES PATENT OrFIcE.

CHARLES H. BUXTON, OF CllICAGO, ILLINOIS ASSIGNOR. TO THE SIGN SUPPLY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SIGN, PRICE-CARD, 80C- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,424, dated June 16, 1891. Application filed February 1, 1889. Serial No. 298,420. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES II. BUXToN, a citizen of the United States of America, living in the town of Cicero, in the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signs Adapted for Use for Price-Lists, Advertisements, and Bulletin Boards, and for other Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class and kind of signs which are composed of detached letters, changeable at will, wherein the signification and meaning of the sign can be changed without destroying the elements entering into and forming a part of the sign. Changeable signs wherein a flat, concave, or convex back plate having its edges bent over into a flange or lip and forming, in connection with the body of the plate, a channel or way have been heretofore made, such way being adapted to receive a single line of letters or sign-marks which are slid thereinto; and in such signs the letters or sign-marks are detachable, and

after being slid into position are there held in various Ways. Such letters are held in position by a flat spring operating against the back of the letters or sign-marks in Patent No. 124,235, and bya key interposed between the letters (or a face-plate under them) and the flanged back plate in Patent No.183,414; and, further, changeable signs consisting of more than one line, each line constructed as described, have been used in a single sign,

such lines being attached together, after the same have been built up, by hooks, chains, or other suitable means; but, so far as I am aware, no changeable sign has been heretofore made wherein other than a single and straight line of letters or other sign-marks has been built up from detachable letters or sign-marks, except as hcreinbefore named.

The object of my invention is to obtain a changeable sign in which the letters or other 5 sign-marks forming words or other significant marks can be arranged in a straight or curved line or lines, as many of such lines being used as required and disposed within the sign, as desired, thereby making it possible to readily 5o obtain changeable ornamental forms and shapes in the several lines constituting the sign and an ornamental and sightly appearance in the completed sign.

I have illustrated my invention by the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is an elevation of a sign embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a perspective View of a portion thereof, showing the several parts entering into its construction in crosssection at one end of the view; Fig. 3, a crosssection of the sign, and Fig. 4 a perspective view of one of the letters employed in constructing the sign.

Like letters refer to the same part in more than one view thereof.

A is the frame of the sign.

Bis a plate of glass or other transparent material placed in frame A.

D D are letters or sign-marks.

E is a sheet of paper, cloth, or other flexible material.

F is a cushion of elastic material, preferably cotton-batting or wool or hair felting.

The sheet of paper or cloth E is used, prin- 7 5 cipally for the purpose of obtaining a desired ornamental appearance, and where either face of the cotton-batting or the felting employed presents a sufficiently finished appearance to suit the wishes of the person building up a sign embodying my invention this sheet of paper or cloth E may evidently be omitted.

G is a backing composed of rigid material, as sheet metal, board, or other like substance.

In my device the letters used can be cut from sheet metal, card-board, or other suitable material, care being necessary, however, that the letters shall not be so thick as to break or tear the paper or cloth E, or the sur- 9o face of the cotton-batting or felt F, when the several parts are inserted in the frame and the rigid backing G is forced into the frame and firmly secured in place, as hereinafter described. 9

In the construction of asign embodyingmy invention. which shall constitute a price-card, advertisement, or bulletin the several. letters or sign-marks required should first be placed upon the plate of glass or other transparent IOO material 13 in frame A, and there grouped or lined in the position it is proposed to have them occupy in the completed sign. The flexible sheet of paper or cloth E, where such sheet is used, should then be laid upon the glass B and. letters or sign-marks D, care being taken in the laying on of this flexible sheet E not to disturb or change the position of such letters or sign-marks. Cushion F, consisting, as stated, of cotton-batting, felting, or other like material, is then laid upon the sheet of flexible material (as paper or cloth) E where the same is used and upon the glass B and letters D grouped thereon when such sheet E is not used. Rigid or nonfleXible backing G is then placed in the frame A and pressed firmly against the elastic cushion F with sufficient pressure to press the front surface thereof firmly against the letters or signunarks D and the glass A, or against the sheet of flexible material, as paper or cloth E, interposed between such letters and glass and the elastic cushion F, and such letters or sign-marks D are thus held with sufficient firmness in the exact position in which they have been grouped upon the plate of glass to cause them to remain in place under all ordinary usage of the sign formed thereby. By this means the letters or sign-marks remain separate from both the glass plate B and the flexible sheet E or cotton-batting F, while at the same time these letters or sign-marks, being held in position solely by the contact and pressure thereof against the transparent plate B and by the contact and pressure of the elastic cushion against the glass of transparent plate B upon all sides surrounding such letters or sign-marks, they may be removed at any time without injury thereto or to the other elements of the sign by the removal of the rigid back Grand elastic cushion F, and in order to facilitate ready change in the signification of the sign this rigid backG is removably secured in place in the frame A.

where it is desirable to present the front and back to view two frames A may be employed, in each of which the desired sign is built up in the manner hereinbefore described, such frames being then secured together back to back, as by hooks or in any suitable manner, the front of each frame being thereby exposed to View with the sign therein. A two-part frame is thus obtained.

Then the two frames or the two-part frame is employed, the plate of glass or transparent material in one of the frames or in one part of the two-partframe will constitute the backing required to the elastic cushion to force such elastic cushion against the other glass and the letters interposed between it and the elastic cushion, and when the two frames or the two parts of the two-part frame are firmly secured together the backing is thereby firmly secured in each of such frames or parts of the frame.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In changeable signs, the combination of a frame, a plate of transparent material contained in the frame, detachable sign-marks placed against the plate of transparent material, n elastic cushion placed over the plate of transparent material andover the signmarks grouped thereon, and a rigid back placed over the elastic cushion and contained within the frame and rigidly secured therein, thereby pressing the upper surface of such elastic cushion against the plate of transparent material and the sign-marks interposed between such plate and the elastic cushion, substantially as described.-

2. In changeable signs, the combination of a double frame, a plate of transparent material contained in each part of such double frame, detachable sign-marks placed against each of such plates, an elastic cushion placed over the plates of transparent material and over the sign-marks grouped thereon, and fastenings adapted to hold the several parts of the frame firmly together, thereby pressing the surface of such elastic cushion against the plates of transparent material, respectively, and against the sign-marks interposed between such plates and the elastic cushion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

CHARLES H. BU XTON.

In presence of- WALLACE RICE, EUGENE S. MORTON. 

